THEATRE: POOR BOY
Image: Two poor boys – one lost to death, the other haunted by a ghost – and the lives of their fractured families collide in this visually stunning production featuring tracks by Tim Finn. But can this ‘play with songs’ pull off all the melodrama? Only just.
As the plaintive – and parenthetical – cry goes, what more can poor boy do? In this case, two poor boys – one, Danny (Matthew Newton) lost to death seven years back, the other (Jem) lost to the past as he becomes haunted by the ghost of Danny. Through this, the lives of two severely broken families intersect, in increasingly explosive ways.
This production is visually and aurally stunning. A suburban house, coated in dust and memories, is cast against a glowing spectral sky. It projects the intimacy of a real, lived in space. The sound is just as evocative, comprised of new and old Tim Finn tracks – some you might recognise, like I Hope I Never, Split Enz’s 1980 iconic tribute to broken love – some composed especially for this ‘play with songs’. And the story is one that few will be able to resist, with its meditations on grief and loss, forbidden lust and fractured relationships. If those meditations sound borderline melodramatic, it’s because they are. Separately, all the elements are strong. But piled on top of each other you are left with an aftertaste that is a little too sickly sweet. Turns out, Poor Boy could’ve done with a lot less.
July 9–August 1, Sydney Theatre, Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay, $30-80, 9250 1777 or sydneytheatre.com.au
